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Archive for January, 2011

The last month has brought two big changes to my cooking habits. Meat, while it was always eaten in moderation has been pretty non-existent, save for the occasional bacon I make for the kids. In its place, beans have been given their proper due. Not using bacon has pushed me to look for flavors in unexpected places. My kale, white & ravioli soup proved to be a very fulfilling meal without my usual tendency to boost it with bacon.

Oatmeal seems simple enough, but it’s a divisive breakfast in our house. I love the nutty, toothsome texture of steel cut oats, as does my youngest daughter. The Mr. and my 7-year-old prefer old fashioned oats. Luckily, steel cut oats are forgiving, provided you don’t overcook them, so I can make a pot on Mondays and heat portions as the week goes on.

There’s nothing like a nut-studded, fudgy brownie to cure a chocolate hankering. Problem is many recipes lure me in with promises of chewy, chocolate squares of goodness only to leave me crestfallen from the first bite. Thankfully, I’ve created the perfect brownie recipe to satisfy my craving whenever the mood strikes.

Homemade yogurt is a pretty hottrend right now—and for good reason. I’d never met a plain yogurt I liked until making my own a few months ago. The tangy, creaminess is a rewarding treat after a patient waiting period.

Parenthood is a perennial reminder of how fast time flies. Blogging and recipe developing are a very close second. While perusing my own archives, I came across this recipe I created for Cuisinart almost a year to the day.

It’s just about mid-January, and while I’m not exactly in a root vegetable rutt yet, I couldn’t help think about all the summer salads that are months away for us farmers’ market shoppers here in the northeast. I had no intention of even making a salad, but after spying some blood oranges at the little market I inhabit a few times a week, I soon found myself picking up some organic baby arugula too.

This morning kids all over NYC are waking up to find out school is indeed open. Thank heavens the city I grew up in didn’t flinch over less than a foot of snow the way they did the day after Christmas. While it did have me dancing a jig—school closings are the arch nemesis of work-at-home parents, I realized it meant I’d have to pack lunch.

Homemade butter is a real treat, and while not very cost-effective for high-volume baking considering the cost of cream these days, it’s something I always make for a special occasion, which can be as simple as good friends coming over for dinner.

I must confess, until two weeks ago, I really never knew the difference between muesli and oatmeal. Crazy, yes, but I’m also new to the oatmeal game. When I was a little girl, I’d beg my nana for oatmeal each morning because my older sister loved it. Then I’d find myself staring at a bowl of mush, and suddenly realized I preferred food that required teeth. Something with texture that I could actually enjoy.

While we’re on the subject of almonds, I thought I’d talk about one of my favorites—a splurge worthy of using some of that rainy day savings. Marcona almonds originated in Spain, and while I hear they are becoming popular in North America, I’m not really sure if that means cultivating or eating. I am of the latter.